The swing is toward the criminal, who is presumed to think rationally and who, it is assumed, can be deterred from
criminal activity if the correct disincentives are imposed.
The contributions of social-structural theories must not
be overlooked, however. In identifying social and political
institutions as possible causes of crime, we have made significant changes, some that may be questioned and some
that appear to be functional for individuals and for society. We have learned that it is important to consider crime
from many perspectives.